LA Metro Takes Delivery of BYD Buses
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has officially taken delivery of their first 5 battery electric transit buses from BYD.
Metro, known in the transit community as the nation’s first clean-air fleet with their conversion to compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses, is now also the first major transit property in the U..S to begin electrifying their fleet with truly zero-emissions buses. These 40-foot buses will be direct integrated into their daily operations, as the buses are capable of driving more than 155 miles on a single charge.
The unveiling ceremony was held at LA Metro’s Patsaouras Transit Plaza behind Union Station, and was attended by a number of city officials and business executives including LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, LA World Trade Center CEO Stephen Cheung, and BYD Company Founder and Chairman Chuanfu Wang.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12070350
BYD Delivers 15 Electric Buses for Electrified BRT
BYD Co. Ltd. has delivered all 15 fully electric buses to integrate the BRT Sunway Line, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On June 1, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the beginning of operation of the BRT Sunway Line at a press conference held by Malaysia’s Public Transportation Co. Prasarana and its subsidiary Rapid KL, along with Sunway Group.
The Sunway Line is the first battery electrified BRT system in the world, consisting of 15 eco-friendly battery electric buses running a 5.4km route on elevated bus lanes, and comes to provide a better and more integrated transit service for the residents of Kuala Lumpur’s adjoining townships of Bandar Sunway and UEP Subang Jaya, connecting hospitals, universities, commercial, shopping and residential areas. 500,000 residents are expected to benefit from the system. Malaysian authorities place great importance on environmental protection and have taken substantial measures to control pollution and emissions, as shown with the development of this watershed BRT project.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12080472
U.S. and Chinese Leaders Go Electric in LA
About 400 of the most important leaders in the free world gathered in Los Angeles in September to collaborate on strategies to improve global stewardship and battle man-made factors effecting climate change.
Featured in the opening video at the Sept. 15, plenary session was BYD Motors.
"BYD is the company that will save the world," said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, who was instrumental in attracting the company to Lancaster, as well as metropolitan Los Angeles, back in 2011. "Our streets are already quieter, and our air cleaner, with BYD's buses, trucks and cars. However, the economic impact of green-tech is just as significant. Companies like BYD have been instrumental in rebuilding the economies of cities like Lancaster across the nation."
BYD electric buses to transported dignitaries to offset the carbon footprint of the conference.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12115614
London’s Double-Decker Buses Go Electric
Transportation for London (TfL) has contracted BYD Co. Ltd. to build the next-generation London double-decker buses.
The announcement took place at the C40: Clean Bus Summitheld at London City Hall. Breaking the news was the mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
"Many believed that a pure electric double-decker bus would not be possible due to the size of the battery packs required to power it," said Johnson. "However, by working with BYD and utilizing the latest cutting edge technology London has been able to secure another world first. The new electric double-decker trial will see the zero emission double-decker buses manufactured by BYD enter service on Route 16 from October."
www.MassTransitmag.com/12089708
New Flyer Announces Acquisition of MCI
New Flyer Industries Inc. on Nov. 10, announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Motor Coach Industries International Inc. (MCI) from an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners L.P. for cash consideration of $455 million subject to certain purchase price adjustments. The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including U.S. antitrust and Canadian Competition Act approvals.
For the nine months ended Sept. 30, MCI delivered 576 new coaches resulting in new coach revenue of approximately $315 million and also generated pre-owned coach and aftermarket parts and service combined revenue of approximately $128 million. Total revenue for this period was approximately $443 million.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12136881
DC Metro to Add New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 Battery-Electric Bus
New Flyer of America Inc. will deliver an all electric transit bus to the Washington Area Transit Authority (Metro) in 2016.
The Xcelsior XE40 is equipped with 200 kilowatt-hours of energy stored in lithium-ion batteries, provided by Xalt Energy. The traction motor is a Siemens ELFA permanent electromagnetic motor rated at 215 hp.
The Metro XE40 bus will be equipped with New Flyer Connect, an onboard telematics systems and support service that will allow Metro and New Flyer Engineers to remotely monitor the battery-electric vehicle in real-time, for optimal management and operational efficiency.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12124723
Xcelsior XE40 Electric Bus Completes Altoona Test
New Flyer Industries Inc. announced the completion of testing of the Xcelsior XE40 electric bus in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus Test Program at Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Any new model vehicle used in U.S. in mass transportation revenue service and purchased with FTA funds must complete an Altoona Test. The primary focus of the test program is structural durability with additional evaluations including: safety, structural integrity, reliability, performance, maintainability, noise, and fuel economy.
New Flyer is preparing to return to the Altoona Test Facility in early 2016 with an Xcelsior 60-foot articulated battery-electric bus.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12110069
King County Launches Next Generation of Electric Trolleys
King County Metro launched new electric trolleys Aug. 19. King County Executive Dow Constantine also previewed a prototype battery-powered bus that could become the next era of transit technology.
Deployment of the new trolleys, along with the arrival within a few months of three new prototype battery buses, continues to position Metro as an industry leader in expanding the use of green technology in public transportation.
The new 38-seat buses can travel up to 23 miles between charges, and remain on the road up to 24 hours a day. Batteries take 10 minutes or less to charge.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12105931
Nashville Electric Buses Now on Music City Circuit
Nashville MTA’s new Proterra electric buses are now in service.
Training has been completed, and approximately 50 bus operators have now been trained on the zero emission vehicles. The fleet of nine buses will operate only on the Music City Circuit, which serves the Bicentennial Mall area and the Gulch.
Each bus has seating for 27 passengers with additional standing room for a total of 42 passengers.
The electric buses feature lithium-ion batteries that are charged at Riverfront Station The Fast Fill charging system allows for a full charge in less than 10 minutes with the driving distance of the bus being 26 miles or more on a single charge.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12138607
IndyGo Electric Buses Now Serving Passengers
IndyGo's all-electric buses are now on the roads of Indianapolis, operating at a fourth of the cost of a traditional diesel bus.
Since the rollout of the buses in early June, performance has exceeded 130 miles on a single 4-hour charge of the 12 Lithium-Ion batteries.
In addition to the electric buses, IndyGo is currently installing a one megawatt solar panel system on its garage roof, thanks to a $3 million State of Good Repair Grant. Once installed, the solar panels will help offset the cost to charge the electric buses, further reducing operating cost.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12092066
STM Welcomes Electrification Initiative
The Montreal Transit Corp. (STM) welcomes the commitment of the government of Québec to choose the path of the electrification of transport in the unveiling of its action plan.
The Quebec government has confirmed its support in the City Mobility project which aims to test in the streets of Montreal Nova LFSe three bus 100 percent electric starting in 2016. These buses will run on line 36 - Monk and will recharge in the end thanks to two fast charging stations.Over a period of five years, the City Mobility project in Montreal has a budget of $ 16.7 million, including $ 11.9 million from the Department of Transport of Quebec.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12124988
Quebec Introduces 100% Electric Bus
The STM and Nova Bus on Nov. 24, unveil the visual identity of the electric buses to run in the city. People will recognize 100 percent electric buses with a distinct visual identity aside from STM's regular bus fleet.
Two fast-charging stations will be built in spring in Victoria Square and Angrignon terminus. Testing will begin in 2016 and will be followed by the commissioning with customers. Testing will continue until 2019.
The three bus LFSe designed under the direction of Nova Bus in the Electric Bus Consortium, will have four batteries recharged via a rapid charging system and will be equipped with a TM4 engine designed in Quebec.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12142808
Volvo Shows Electric Bus at UITP in Milan
Volvo’s new electric bus was a centrepieces at the large UITP show in Milan on June 8-10.
Together with the global partners Siemens and ABB, the company is able to offer complete solutions for the electric infrastructure, including the smart conductive charging.
Volvo Buses range of electrified buses includes the previously launched Volvo 7900 Hybrid, which has been a major commercial success with more than 2000 units sold, and the Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid, which was launched in autumn 2014.
Unlike these two, the first electric bus is a concept vehicle. It can carry up to 86 passengers.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12083199
